The Story Of Minglan Director Talks About Finding The Perfect Cast

The Story Of Minglan 知否知否应是绿肥红瘦 is a drama series revolving on the life of the unfavored sixth daughter of an official. It premiered to lukewarm ratings at the beginning though it has been improving as the weeks progress. It seems that ratings have turned out to be just as predicted. 

Early on, Director Zhang Kaizhou who is known for his works in Love Me If You Dare and Battle of Changsha said that he was satisfied with the ratings. The Story of Minglan is his first historical drama. He says, "Because the story starts slow and reaches a climax, going from small to big. The process is a gradual climb and there are many exciting moments later on, it will get better and better." 

Zhang Kaizhou talks about his reasons for casting Zhao Liying, Feng Shaofeng and Zhu Yilong as the leads. According to him, they were the perfect choice saying, "The common characteristic of the three of them is that they are very invested in this series... The plot also gives the actors room to improvise (to make them more believable)"  

Zhang Kaizhou said that Feng Shaofeng's portrayal of Gu Tingye was very good. Gu Tingye is written as a person with major character arcs. His relationship with Minglan starts from nothing and turns into a relationship of mutual understanding and love. Zhang thinks that Feng Shaofeng did very well because through his performance, he was able to capture the personality changes that his character undergoes. 

According to Zhang, Feng Shaofeng has invested a lot into the role.  "Some viewers don't like it and may have their opinion, I think their concerns are mainly due to the character. Everyone does not approve of Gu Tingye and not the actor's performance of Gu Tingye. There will be very high caliber performances later on." he says.  

Asked about whether some supporting characters have stolen the spotlight from the lead characters, Zhang Kaizhou says, "I don't think their performance have overshadowed the leads.  Because the death of Xiao Niang had some impact on Minglan, she has become very subdued.  In the later part of the drama, both Gu Tingye and Minglan's stories will dominate the series.  It is just a process that people will have to patiently wait and see.  As for Zhao Liying's performance, the audience will see a different Zhao Liying throughout the series." 

On Zhu Yilong, Zhang Kaizhou commented that him being in The Story Of Minglan was fate. When he saw Zhu Yilong, Zhang immediately felt that he was a very good fit for Qi Heng. His image is similar to Qi Heng. Through their interactions, he realized that Zhu Yilong is also timid and not an overtly handsome man. When filming began, Zhang says that Zhu Yilong had a deep artistic sense. He liked studying, enjoyed discussions and it is reflected in his acting. He can easily act in a pure art film. From his personality to his work ethics, Zhang acknowledges that Zhu Yilong is a very good actor. 

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Zhao Liying first among Vlinkage's top 100 celebs for 3 years straight

There's one more report to add to the year-ender lists from last year. Vlinkage has unveiled their top 100 celebrities for 2018 and it's a list dominated by the ladies. Zhao Liying takes the top spot once again, her third year in a row. Yang Mi and Dilraba Dilmurat who take second and third place were also among the top 3 bankable stars named by CBN Weekly. Did your favorite star make the list? 

Top 10

1. Zhao Liying

2. Yang Mi

3. Dilraba Dilmurat

4. Yang Yang

5. Hu Ge

6. Yang Zi

7. Zhu Yilong

8. Karry Wang Junkai

9. Tiffany Tang Yan

10. Luhan

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The Story of Minglan premieres to middling ratings with young cast

The Story of Minglan 知否知否应是绿肥红瘦 garnered CSM52 ratings of 0.608% for its much-awaited premiere on Hunan TV last night. I'm surprised that it's lagging behind most of the primetime shows and even ranks below The King of Blaze which garnered 0.770% despite being a late evening show. View count seems more hopeful in comparison as it reached 62.6 million views online to place in 3rd after hit drama Like A Flowing River and About Is Love. Nonetheless, it has yet to hit the 100 million mark that many dramas have crossed within the first hour of release. 

Having caught the first two episodes, Minglan is really a family drama at its core which may not be for everybody. I though I'd be bored, but I personally enjoyed every moment and appreciated how every detail was so intricately shot. Only the young cast have appeared and I'd say they pretty much held their own. 

I love little Minglan, she is too precious! 

I thought he was a young Kim Soo Hyun at first glance, maybe not in this picture. What he does in the first episode is really sweet.

And here I mistook this girl for little Minglan at the opening scene. She's also super cute.  

There would be no drama without someone causing trouble. It's her. 

The heads of the household seem more self-serving and easily manipulated than evil which hardly helps. Meanwhile, here are some stills of Zhao Liying, Feng Shaofeng and Zhu Yilong as we wait for their grand entrance.  

Character introductions: The Story of Minglan

Merry Christmas! It's traditionally a day to spend time with family where I'm from and it seems more fitting than ever to air The Story of Minglan 知否知否应是绿肥红瘦, which is a story that explores familial relationships. It's not a drama I'd normally watch, but the hype around it is contagious and for good reason. I know what I'm watching tonight (subbed on Viki)!

Zhao Liying as Sheng Minglan, the 6th and youngest daughter of the Sheng Family. The level-headed heroine tries to survive in a political household amidst countless machinations in her family. Being the unfavored daughter, her father is indifferent towards her and her sisters bully her, making life difficult to bear. Fortunately, Minglan is not the type to bow down to fate. Through the unconditional love and support of Grandma Sheng, she's discreet about her intelligence and learns to stand on her own two feet to become a force to be reckoned with. 

Feng Shaofeng as Gu Tingye, the son of Marquis Gu. Reprimanded by his own father for being a worthless son, Gu Tingye wasted his younger years seeking pleasure in women and wine. He rescues Minglan from harm many times after they meet. As she rises in position, Gu Tingye experiences a misfortune and wanders away until he ultimately finds his path in the military. 

Zhu Yilong as Qi Heng, the second son of Duke Qi. He is a famous young noble in the capital. He is handsome, educated and gentlemanly. He and Minglan become mutually attracted to each other at first sight, but politics gets in the way of their relationship and leads to a lifetime of regret. 

Shi Shi as Sheng Molan, the 4th daughter of the Sheng Family. She is Sheng Hong and Lin Qinshuang's illegitimate daughter. She appears gentle and frail but her heart is cruel and ruthless. She is Minglan's biggest opponent before marriage.  

Zhang Jianing as Sheng Rulan, the 5th daughter of the Sheng Family. She is Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu's second daughter. She is honest and doesn't have a shred of deceit. Towards love, she is a brave woman who will fight for the man that she loves regardless of his background. 

Cao Cuifen as Grandma Sheng. She is wise and fair. Widowed at a young age, she raised her illegitimate son and helped him on a path to success. In her older days, she cared for and protected Minglan who lost her mother at a young age. 

Liu Jun as Shen Hong, the patriarch of the family. He is a man who puts the interests of the Sheng Family above all else. He is ambitious and perceptive, but troubled by the affairs in his household. 

Liu Lin as Wang Ruofu, the mother of the household. 

Gao Lu as Lin Qinshuang, Shen Hong's mistress. Just like her daughter, she is adept at scheming and often uses her tears to her advantage. 

Wang Renjun as Sheng Changbo, the eldest son of the Sheng Family. He is a kind brother and a dutiful son who can sacrifice his life for the sake of family. He is learned yet humble. He cares for his siblings but often plays a stern figure.  

Wang Yinan as Xiao Qin Shi, Gu Tingye's stepmother. I'm noticing a trend of two-faced characters at this point. As a mistress, Xiao Qi Shi tries hard to play the role of a loving mother and wife while hiding her ambition to help her own son gain favor. 

Li Yixiao as Zhu Manniang, playing a villain again I'm sure (if you've seen Legend of Dugu and Legend of Fuyao, you'll know what I mean). She is a calculating woman beneath her gentle exterior. Coming from poverty, she is determined to move up in life and resorts to underhanded methods to fulfill her dreams. After meeting Gu Tingye, she gains the chance to enter the Marquis Household. 

Chen Jin as Princess Pingning, Duke Qi's legitimate wife. 

Wang Herun as Sheng Hualan, the 3rd daughter of the Sheng Family and the eldest among the girls. 

Zhang Xiaoqian as Sheng Changfeng, the 2nd son of the Sheng Family. 

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Minor scrape after Zhu Yilong's car was tailed by fans on the way to film The Lost Tomb Reboot

The Lost Tomb Reboot 盗墓笔记重启 is currently filming with Zhu Yilong being the latest actor to take on the role of Wu Xie. Having reached a new height in his popularity after starring in Guardian, there've been past instances where Zhu Yilong was mobbed by overly zealous fans, and it looks like they've struck again. 

Yesterday, The Lost Tomb Reboot crew was being tailgated by sasaeng fans on the way to the filming location. Their rental car scraped the car carrying Zhu Yilong and the crew. Fortunately, no one was injured. After the incident, the staff immediately informed the police.

They've since issued a reminder against such actions because not only does it interfere with filming, it puts everyone including sasaeng fans themselves in grave danger. They reprimand the actions and promise to take legal action to ensure the safety of the cast and crew. 

Hu Jun and Zhu Yilong, they play uncle and nephew in The Lost Tomb Reboot. 

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The Story of Minglan (2018)

The Story of Minglan 知否知否应是绿肥红瘦 is a 76-episode historical drama based on Guan Xin Ze Luan's 关心则乱 novel of the same name. It follows our heroine, Minglan (Zhao Liying) through her childhood as she blooms into a beautiful woman and eventually marries the leading man Gu Ting Ye (Feng Shaofeng). Funny how that worked out in real life too. 

Minglan is the 6th child of the Sheng family. Her mother dies early and although she is intelligent and kind, she's not favored by her father nor anyone in her family. Through the years, Minglan hides her brilliance, hoping to one day avenge her mother. During the process, she will meet many friends and foes, including Gu Ting Ye. 

Zhu Yilong from Guardian is the other male lead. I feel like we may hear the sounds of hearts breaking when he doesn't get the girl! I've seen Zhao Liying in Journey of Flower and Princess Agents. Don't get me started with the latter, I'm still disappointed with the ending, but I really like Zhao Liying's acting and probably have a preferential bias for her dramas. This seems like a slice of life story in an ancient setting and not my usual choice. I feel confident about this though because it comes from the makers of Nirvana in Fire. 

Other cast include Kira Shi Shi, Zhang Jianing, Cao Cuifen, Liu Jun, Liu Lin, Gao Lu, Wang Renjun, Wang Yinan, Li Yixiao, Chen Jin, Wang Herun, Zhang Xiaoqian, and Li Hongtao.

Release date: December 25, 2018 Hunan TV, iQiYi, Tencent, Youku (eng subs on Viki)

Vote for your favorite Chinese series in 2018. 

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